I used to think that happy people came by it naturally; that every smiling passerby must have it easier than me.
Now I know it isn’t that simple; that behind every smile lies a reason not to.
Behind every whisper of thanks, a memory of lack.
Every day lived, every love lost, every minute wasted replaced with an appreciation for each moment.
I learned that some of the happiest people are the people who have lost the most.
Some of the most vibrant souls have witnessed the most gruesome things life has to offer and chose to let their darkness guide them to the light.
With every experience, every hardship, and every single evil witnessed, an opportunity to recognize the miracle that is life.
Now I know happiness is a choice, a bold one at that, that not everyone gets the privilege to choose.
I will choose happiness any day I win the battle between my mind and my heart.
I will choose love.
I will choose life.